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Prince William and Kate Middleton declared married

LONDON: Prince William, second-in-line to the British throne, and his long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton were declared married on Friday at a service in London's Westminster Abbey.

William, 28, and Middleton, 29, exchanged vows before nearly 2,000 guests in the abbey and a television and internet audience of millions.

They were formally declared married by the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the spiritual leader of the Church of England. (Reuters)

Prince William marries Kate in glittering ceremony

LONDON: Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton married at Westminster Abbey on Friday in a royal occasion of dazzling pomp and pageantry that has attracted a huge global audience and injected new life into the monarchy. 

Before the vows, a veiled Middleton, the first "commoner" to marry a prince in close proximity to the throne in more than 350 years, walked slowly through the 1,900-strong congregation to the swirling strains of Charles Parry's "I Was Glad". 

As they met at the altar William whispered to her, prompting a smile at the start of the ceremony. The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams declared the couple married with the words: "I pronounce that they be man and wife together." 

Middleton's dress, the subject of fevered speculation for months in the fashion press, was a traditional ivory silk and satin outfit with a lace appliqué and long train. She wore a tiara loaned by the queen and the diamond and sapphire engagement ring that once belonged to William's mother Princess Diana, who was divorced from Prince Charles in 1996, a year before her death in a car crash in Paris aged just 36. 

Bells pealed loudly and trumpets blared as 1,900 guests earlier poured into the historic abbey, coronation site for the monarchy since William the Conqueror was crowned in 1066. 

Queen Elizabeth, other royals, David and Victoria Beckham, the footballer-pop star couple, singer Elton John and Prime Minister David Cameron were among famous guests at the abbey. They joined 50 heads of state as well as charity workers and war veterans who know the prince from his military training. 

HUGE CROWDS 

Thousands of people from around the world were outside the abbey, many of them camping overnight for the best view of the future king and queen and fuelling the feel-good factor that has briefly lifted Britain from its economic gloom. 

"People watching this at home must think we're completely mad, but there's just no comparison," said 58-year-old Denise Mill from southern England. "I just had to be here." 

The crowd entered into the festive spirit on a chilly day by wearing national flags and even fake wedding dresses and tiaras. Hundreds of police officers, some armed, dotted the royal routes in a major security operation. Tens of thousands more people crammed the flag-lined streets of London to catch a glimpse of marching military bands in black bearskin hats, cavalrymen in shining breastplates and ornate carriages that will carry royal figures from the service. 

A large gathering is expected outside the queen's London residence, Buckingham Palace, to cheer on the married couple as they appear on the balcony for a much-anticipated public kiss. 

For some, however, the biggest royal wedding since Diana married Prince Charles in 1981 was an event to avoid, reflecting divided opinion about the monarchy. "It's just a wedding," said 25-year-old Ivan Smith. "Everyone is going mad about it. I couldn't care less." (Reuters)

'Beautiful' Kate wears dress by McQueen designer 

LONDON: Kate Middleton wore a stunning ivory and lace wedding dress Friday by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, her face covered lightly with a hand-embroidered veil held by a tiara lent by the queen.

Smiling broadly and waving to the cheering crowd outside Westminster Abbey, the 29-year-old clutched a bouquet of flowers that included Sweet William. Inside, her groom Prince William showed his appreciation, mouthing: "You look beautiful."

Burton, the 36-year-old creative director of fashion house Alexander McQueen, had long been tipped for the commission, but palace officials had remained tight-lipped right up until the moment Kate stepped out of the car.

They said the bride has "worked closely" with Burton in formulating the design, which she wanted to "combine tradition and modernity".

In a design that echoed the dress worn by Grace Kelly when she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956, Kate's gown had long sleeves in lace which drew down over the ivory satin bodice to form a V-neckline.

The bodice narrowed at her tiny waist and was padded at the hips, flaring to a skirt resembling an open flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats.

Her train measured 2.7 metres (8.8 feet) -- relatively short by royal standards, particularly Princess Diana's, which was 25-feet long (7.6 metres).

The train and bodice were adorned by delicate lace applique flowers, in a unique design that incorporated the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock -- the four floral emblems of the United Kingdom.

Members of the Royal School of Needlework worked on the intricate lace detailing, washing their hands every 30 minutes to keep it pristine, and changing their needles every three hours to keep them sharp.

"It's a bridal gown of very refined detail, much more refined than the one Diana wore" at her marriage to William's father Prince Charles in 1981, commented German couturier Karl Lagerfeld, adding: "It's very pretty."

Harriet Quick, fashion features director at Vogue, said: "It is absolutely beautiful and very restrained and quite modest in many ways.

"It has lots of echoes of Grace Kelly's wedding dress but I think Sarah Burton's created something really beautiful for her, with a very simple veil, the incredible lace and that prettiest of necklines."

Kate's veil was made of layers of soft, ivory silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers. It fell to just below her waist, held in place by a Cartier tiara lent to her by Prince William's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Her diamond earrings, a gift from her parents, evoked her family's new coat of arms with an oak leaf design. On her feet, she wore hand-made Alexander McQueen shoes made of ivory duchesse satin and lace.

Kate held a bouquet containing lily of the valley, which symbolises the return of happiness; sweet William, which means gallantry; hyacinth, constancy of love; ivy, fidelity; and myrtle, the emblem of love and marriage.

Burton also created the dress for Kate's sister Pippa, 26, who was her maid of honour. It was simple and elegant, made of heavy ivory satin-based crape with the same button detail and lace trims as the bride's dress.

The designer said Kate looked "absolutely stunning".

"It has been the experience of a lifetime to work with Catherine Middleton to create her wedding dress, and I have enjoyed every moment of it," she said, adding that it had been "such an incredible honour to be asked".

The dress was the work of skilled workmanship from across Britain, and Burton paid tribute in her design to the Arts and Crafts tradition.

Burton took over as creative director after Alexander Lee McQueen committed suicide in February 2010. The 36-year-old graduate of Central St Martin's fashion college had worked side by side with him for 14 years.

The dress is expected to spawn a thousand reproductions.

Elizabeth Emanuel, who created Diana's fairytale ivory silk taffeta wedding gown in 1981 with her husband David, is still being asked to make copies.

"There are going to be people watching as she walks down the aisle with their sketch pads, with the machinists and pattern cutters all ready and waiting. By the next morning you'll see copies in the high street," she said. (AFP)

William and Kate kiss on Buckingham Palace balcony

LONDON: Prince William and his new bride Kate kissed on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following their wedding Friday to the cheers of hundreds of thousands of well wishers massed below.

The couple embraced after William turned to Kate and asked: "Shall we kiss?".

The balcony kiss, first performed at a British royal wedding by William's late mother Diana and Prince Charles in 1981, has become a tradition of royal weddings.

The kiss was followed by a ceremonial flypast of World War II-era aircraft and modern fighter jets. (AFP)

Huge crowd converges on palace to see couple

LONDON: A massive crowd of well wishers edged up towards Buckingham Palace on Friday to see Prince William and his bride Kate appear on the balcony and seal their royal wedding with a kiss.

Tens of thousands of people, waving Union Jacks and taking photographs of a historic moment, walked slowly up The Mall, the wide boulevard leading from Trafalgar Square to the palace as a cordon of police led the way.

Thousands of people were already waiting in front of the palace for the balcony scene, a regular feature of royal weddings for decades. 

"I wish I were Kate but just for the day. I don't want to become a queen, but it's every girl's dream to become a princess," said Kate More, 20, donning a paper crown as she joined the crowd outside the palace.

"They are the most glamorous and classy couple. They are a new face for the monarchy," gushed her friend Katie Oresko, a student from Chicago. 

Clutching Union Jack flags, well wishers had come from all over the world, rising before dawn or camping overnight on the streets, and they were finally rewarded Friday as the second in line to the throne wed Kate tied the knot at Westminster Abbey. 

Despite their long vigil, thousands of royal fans were in high spirits as they chanted "We want Kate, we want Kate" in the moments before the Rolls-Royce Phantom carrying her from her hotel arrived at the abbey. 

Sitting next to her father Michael, Kate acknowledged the crowds who waved flags and cheered their support. There was a rush of fans across Parliament Square in the hope of seeing the Rolls-Royce carrying the bride in her elegant dress - an ivory gown with lace applique floral detail designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen fashion house. 

The crowds then settled to listen to the service, which was broadcast on loudspeakers across the square. 

Outside the abbey, where some royal fans had been camped out since Monday, the road was packed. 

Haytham Khalaf, a 35-year-old university researcher from Jordan, said the wedding was a "once in a lifetime" event, adding: "I could have watched it on TV but up close it is so much better. And you meet people too." 

Sam Harburg, a 27-year-old Australian, dressed in a pink tie and dark blue jacket, arrived with a friend at 4:00 am equipped with a cool box with beer and two bottles of champagne, "one for the procession and one for the royal kiss". "I can tell my friends in Australia that I was here," he said. 

The crowd was a riot of colour -- there were little girls in princess dresses, women sporting paper crowns and plastic tiaras, men in William paper masks and an ocean of red, white and blue Union Jack flags. 

One couple came dressed as daffodils, the national flower of Wales, where William and Kate will live after their marriage, while two women wore wedding dresses with signs on their backs saying "It should have been me!". 

Outside the abbey, Kim Ratcliffe, 37, wore a spectacular hat on top of her blonde hair. "I came prepared just in case they would invite me in!" she said, pushing her two daughters, both dressed as princesses, in their pram. (AFP)

More than 1 mln flock to royal wedding: police

LONDON: More than one million people flooded London on Friday to witness Britain's royal wedding, police confirmed.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said one million people lined the wedding route as Prince William tied the knot with Kate Middleton.

Some 500,000 people were estimated to have flocked to the Mall, the tree-lined boulevard leading to Buckingham Palace, to get a glimpse of the newlyweds as they kissed on the balcony. (AFP)

43 arrested as wedding passes smoothly: police

LONDON: British police arrested more than 40 people Friday as a massive security operation to deter troublemakers at the royal wedding passed off smoothly, police said.

A police spokesman said 43 people had been detained throughout the day after more than 5,000 officers were deployed to police the several hundred thousand people who flooded London to watch Prince William and Kate Middleton marry. 

Scotland Yard said the arrests were made "within and outside the event footprint" and ranged from allegations of a sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl, criminal damage and 25 breaches of the peace. 

Police officers had lined the route carrying the royal couple to and from Westminster Abbey, with cheering crowds kept at a distance behind two sets of barriers several feet apart. 

A large police presence could also be seen on rooftops near the wedding route, with snipers and spotters scanning the streets below with binoculars. 

Police said two minor anti-wedding protests were broken up. Two separate protests in central London were "good-natured." 

Authorities had also banned 99 people from entering the City of Westminster while 24 people suspected of planning disruption were arrested on Thursday. 

Friday's security operation was designed to head off the threats of a terror attack or trouble from anarchists who have hijacked recent London protests against austerity measures. (AFP)

Royal Wedding carnival galore

LONDON: Thousands of well-wishers braved the morning chill near Westminster Abbey in the hope of catching a glimpse of the royal wedding.

Clutching Union Flags and home-made signs with messages for the happy couple, royal fans refused to let the grey London skies dampen their spirits. Some wore tiaras while others painted their legs and faces red, white and blue to mark the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Several fans have been camped outside the abbey for days but others got on packed early-morning trains, carrying fold-up seats, hats and balloons.

Sisters Joan Fuller, 69, and Brenda Rowlands, 60, got up at 5am to secure their place in Parliament Square, which is part of the royal wedding route.

Mrs Fuller travelled from near Doncaster in South Yorkshire to her sister's house in Woking, Surrey, on Thursday.

"I walked the entire route as soon as I got here to have a look and see what was going on," she said.

"I love the royal family and have sat on the Mall for many royal occasions, the last being the Queen's jubilee. I am really looking forward to seeing William and Kate together and the atmosphere is amazing. There are thousands of visitors here, I just think it's really good for the country.

"Diana would be very proud of William because she was so family orientated. William and Kate look so happy, I'm sure she would be delighted."

Husband and wife Julian and Brenda Swinstead, both 61, arrived in the UK three days ago from Darwin in Australia.

Mr Swinstead, draped in an Australian flag, said: "My wife told me that I had better not plan anything for the 29th as she would be watching the wedding on TV with her daughter. I thought I could do better than that so I bought tickets to come over. It's a carnival atmosphere and we are loving it. We've come for the wedding but also for the parties."

William and Kate embark on historic royal wedding 

LONDON: The wedding of Prince William and his fairytale bride Kate Middleton began Friday with huge crowds and a global TV audience watching Britain's biggest royal celebration for three decades. 

Kate, wearing an ivory and white satin wedding dress with long lace sleeves, a veil and a long flowing train waved to cheering crowds of well-wishers as she entered Westminster Abbey. 

William arrived at the church 45 minutes earlier accompanied by his younger brother and best man Prince Harry. Grinning broadly, he was dressed in a scarlet military tunic with a blue sash. 

It is the richest display of pageantry since William's late mother Diana married Prince Charles in 1981 and offers Britain's royal family a chance at renewal after Charles and Diana's bitterly public split. 

The absence of Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997, will be keenly felt throughout the day, and Prince Charles's main spokesman Paddy Harverson said she was "always" in William's thoughts. 

Two billion people -- a third of the world's population -- is expected to watch Diana's eldest son wed the commoner he began dating at St Andrews university in Scotland eight years ago. 

William Arthur Philip Louis -- as Diana's eldest son and the second in line to the throne will be called during the service -- waved to the crowds with one white-gloved hand as he arrived at the 1,000-year-old church. 

Kate herself travelled to the abbey with her father Michael and took four minutes to walk down the aisle, which is lined with trees specially brought in to create the feel of an English garden. 

Palace officials confirmed her dress was by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen. 

Guests were already packed inside, including footballer David Beckham, singer Elton John and "Mr Bean" actor Rowan Atkinson. Fifty members of the royal family and dozens of foreign royals were due after William. 

Queen Elizabeth II granted the couple the titles Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as a wedding gift earlier in the day. 

Hundreds of thousands of campers transformed The Mall, the wide boulevard leading to Buckingham Palace, into a sea of Union Jack flags. (AFP)

Kate and William ready for 'happiest day'

LONDON: Prince William and Kate Middleton were set to marry Friday in Britain's biggest royal wedding in 30 years, to be watched by up to half a million spectators in London and two billion global TV viewers.

The red carpet and floral decorations were in place at the Westminster Abbey venue as Britons across the country prepared to toast the occasion with champagne breakfasts and around 6,000 street parties.

Over a quarter of the world's population is expected to watch the moment Kate becomes a princess after William places the wedding ring on her finger in the church which held the funeral for his late mother Diana.

On the eve of the wedding, thousands of campers had transformed The Mall, the wide boulevard leading to Buckingham Palace, into a multicoloured sea of flags and eccentric headgear as they prepared to cheer on the newly weds.

Some of them were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of William when he made an impromptu evening visit to shake hands with well-wishers, before retiring to spend his last night as a single man with his family.

The 28-year-old prince was heard telling his fans: "All I've got to do is get the lines right".

Campers trying to get a good night's sleep were rudely awoken in Friday's early hours as fireworks lit up London's night sky.

The first glimpse the waiting world will have of the bride, and her much-talked about gown, will be at around 11:00 am (1000 GMT) when she steps out of the Rolls-Royce Phantom car which will transport her to the abbey.

The Order of Service revealed that Kate will not promise to obey her husband in her marriage vows, following in the footsteps of Diana, who later divorced William's father Prince Charles and died in a Paris car crash in 1997.William will be dressed in the world-famous scarlet colours of the British army, but will not be wearing a wedding ring at any point in the service in keeping with his grandfather Prince Philip's preference.

Kate's wedding ring was fashioned by Welsh jewellers Wartski from a piece of Welsh gold given to Prince William by his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. Hundreds of thousands of spectators are expected to line the streets and watch on big screen televisions in London's Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square with champagne, Pimm's, wedding cake and a band all laid on to keep the party swinging.

The latest weather forecast offered more hope for the assembled hordes with scattered showers predicted instead of storms.

The royal couple promised Thursday that the post-wedding processional carriage ride to Buckingham Palace would take place in an open State Landau even if showers were expected. "The forecast will have to be pretty severe for the wet weather option (closed carriage) to be used," a spokesman for William's St James's Palace said.

"Unless we're looking at the possibility of thunderstorms then the couple will just get on with it." Earlier, the pair said they had been "incredibly moved" by the affection shown to them since they announced their engagement in November.

In a message in their official wedding programme, William and Kate thanked "everyone most sincerely for their kindness" as they prepare for "one of the happiest days of our lives".

Inside the church -- which has been decorated with English Field Maple trees and plants including blossoms, azaleas and rhododendron -- will be an eclectic mix of dignitaries, celebrities and politicians.

Around 40 foreign royals will be in attendance along with footballer David Beckham, singer Elton John and Prime Minister David Cameron.

In a diplomatic row that threatened to overshadow the good mood, Britain abruptly withdrew the Syrian ambassador's invitation, saying the regime's crackdown on protesters made it unacceptable for him to attend.

Kate, 29, spent her last night as a commoner at the upmarket Goring Hotel, close to Buckingham Palace.

Earlier, a woman sporting a distinctive belt often worn by Alexander McQueen designer Sarah Burton was seen entering the hotel, fuelling wedding dress rumours.

Later Thursday, Camilla and Charles attended a reception along with the queen being given for British and foreign royals attending the wedding at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in central London.

As final security checks were carried out, police said they had arrested 20 people across London after warning they would act to prevent anyone causing trouble during the wedding. (AFP)

Kate, William wow crowds on wedding eve

LONDON: Kate Middleton attended a final rehearsal at Westminster Abbey on the eve of her wedding as Prince William delighted crowds of wellwishers with an impromptu appearance on Thursday.

The casually dressed prince was given a welcome worthy of a rock star as he appeared on The Mall, the wide boulevard leading to Buckingham Palace where hundreds of people were preparing to camp out overnight.

Earlier, the couple said they had been "incredibly moved" by the affection shown to them since they announced their engagement in November.

In a message in their official wedding programme, William and Kate thanked "everyone most sincerely for their kindness" as they prepare for "one of the happiest days of our lives".

The Order of Service revealed that Kate will not promise to obey her husband in her marriage vows, following in the footsteps of William's late mother Diana, who later divorced his father Prince Charles and died in a Paris car crash in 1997.

In Friday's ceremony, 29-year-old Kate will pledge to "love, comfort, honour and keep" William rather than the more traditional vow to "obey" him.

With 24 hours to go to the wedding, weather forecasters had good news for the 600,000 people expected to gather to watch the ceremony, predicting a cloudy but dry start to Friday, with only a small risk of rain.

In a diplomatic row that threatened to overshadow the good mood, Britain abruptly withdrew the Syrian ambassador's invitation to the wedding, saying the regime's crackdown on protesters made it unacceptable for him to attend.

The invitation had attracted controversy following claims from rights groups that more than 450 pro-democracy protesters have been killed in Syria by security forces in recent weeks.

"Buckingham Palace shares the view of the Foreign Office that it is not considered appropriate for the Syrian ambassador to attend the wedding," a Foreign Office statement said.

The Syrian envoy, Sami Khiyami, said the decision was "embarrassing" and blamed the media for forcing the British government's hand.

"I find it a bit embarrassing but I don't consider it as a matter that would jeopardise any ongoing relations and discussions with the British government," he told BBC Radio.

"I don't really understand it but I understand the influence of media on the government decisions."

Visiting well-wishers on the wedding route on Thursday evening, Prime Minister David Cameron said: "The right decision was taken."

Preparations for the biggest royal wedding in Britain for 30 years reached fever pitch as Kate attended a second and final rehearsal at Westminster Abbey early Thursday, accompanied by William's brother and best man Prince Harry.

She later made a brief appearance outside The Goring hotel, where she will spend her last night as a single woman, delighting the crowds with a wave.

A canopy has been erected over the front of the hotel to ensure no one sees her wedding gown until she arrives at the abbey on Friday.

On The Mall, which the newlyweds will travel down in a horse-drawn carriage, hundreds of people were preparing to spend a chilly night to get a good view of the procession.

Ruth Jackson, a head teacher from Wales, said: "It's history in the making.

We've never been to a royal event before so we wanted to come and soak up the atmosphere. It hasn't disappointed us."

Cameron praised the "fantastic atmosphere" as he walked through the crowd, and Prince Charles' wife Camilla also joined the throng, saying: "We're all ready for tomorrow -- it's wonderful and all very exciting!".

Camilla and Charles attended a reception along with the queen on Thursday night being given for British and foreign royals attending the wedding at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in central London.

As final security checks were carried out, meanwhile, police said they had arrested 20 people across London after warning they would act to prevent anyone causing trouble during the wedding. (AFP)